{"id":108,"date":"2026-09-30T18:33:33","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T17:33:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leweb2ks.dev\/vitrine-vocadial\/en\/resources\/classroom-objects-in-spanish\/"},"modified":"2026-09-30T18:33:33","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T17:33:33","slug":"classroom-objects-in-spanish","status":"publish","type":"vd_ressource","link":"https:\/\/vocadial.com\/en\/resources\/classroom-objects-in-spanish\/","title":{"rendered":"Classroom objects in Spanish: school supplies, pencil case and a classroom routine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Classroom objects in Spanish<\/h2>\n\n

In the pronunciation column, capitals mark the stressed syllable. “h” stands for the jota, a throaty sound like the ch in Scottish “loch”. “th” is the Spain pronunciation of z, and of c before e or i; in Latin America it is “s”.<\/p>\n\n

In the pencil case<\/h3>\n\n
Spanish<\/th>English<\/th>Say it like<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
el estuche<\/td>pencil case (Spain)<\/td>es-TOO-cheh<\/td><\/tr>
el bol\u00edgrafo, el boli<\/td>pen, biro<\/td>boh-LEE-grah-foh, BOH-lee<\/td><\/tr>
el l\u00e1piz (los l\u00e1pices)<\/td>pencil<\/td>LAH-peeth \/ LAH-pees<\/td><\/tr>
los l\u00e1pices de colores<\/td>colouring pencils<\/td>LAH-pee-thes deh koh-LOH-res<\/td><\/tr>
la goma (de borrar)<\/td>rubber, eraser<\/td>GOH-mah<\/td><\/tr>
el sacapuntas<\/td>pencil sharpener<\/td>sah-kah-POON-tahs<\/td><\/tr>
la regla<\/td>ruler<\/td>REH-glah<\/td><\/tr>
las tijeras<\/td>scissors<\/td>tee-HEH-rahs<\/td><\/tr>
el pegamento<\/td>glue<\/td>peh-gah-MEN-toh<\/td><\/tr>
el rotulador<\/td>felt-tip pen (Spain)<\/td>roh-too-lah-DOR<\/td><\/tr>
el subrayador<\/td>highlighter<\/td>soo-brah-yah-DOR<\/td><\/tr>
la calculadora<\/td>calculator<\/td>kahl-koo-lah-DOH-rah<\/td><\/tr>
el comp\u00e1s<\/td>compasses<\/td>kom-PAHS<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

In the classroom and the school bag<\/h3>\n\n
Spanish<\/th>English<\/th>Say it like<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
la mochila<\/td>school bag, rucksack<\/td>moh-CHEE-lah<\/td><\/tr>
el cuaderno<\/td>exercise book<\/td>kwah-DAIR-noh<\/td><\/tr>
la libreta<\/td>notebook<\/td>lee-BREH-tah<\/td><\/tr>
el libro<\/td>book<\/td>LEE-broh<\/td><\/tr>
el diccionario<\/td>dictionary<\/td>deek-thyoh-NAH-ryoh<\/td><\/tr>
la carpeta<\/td>folder<\/td>kar-PEH-tah<\/td><\/tr>
la hoja<\/td>sheet of paper<\/td>OH-hah<\/td><\/tr>
la pizarra<\/td>board (Spain)<\/td>pee-THAH-rrah<\/td><\/tr>
la tiza<\/td>chalk<\/td>TEE-thah<\/td><\/tr>
la mesa<\/td>table, desk<\/td>MEH-sah<\/td><\/tr>
la silla<\/td>chair<\/td>SEE-yah<\/td><\/tr>
el ordenador<\/td>computer (Spain)<\/td>or-deh-nah-DOR<\/td><\/tr>
la puerta \/ la ventana<\/td>door \/ window<\/td>PWAIR-tah \/ ben-TAH-nah<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

Grammar you need with classroom objects<\/h2>\n\n
  1. Z becomes c in the plural.<\/strong> el l\u00e1piz<\/span>, los l\u00e1pices<\/span>. The written accent stays: the stress is still on the first syllable, LAH-pee-thes.<\/li>
  2. Sacapuntas is the same in the plural.<\/strong> el sacapuntas<\/span>, los sacapuntas<\/span>. So is el lavavajillas<\/span> at home: compound words ending in -s do not change.<\/li>
  3. Scissors are plural.<\/strong> unas tijeras<\/span> (a pair of scissors); Las tijeras est\u00e1n en la mesa.<\/span><\/li>
  4. No article after tener in the negative, often in the positive.<\/strong> No tengo regla<\/span>, \u00bfTienes boli?<\/span> Both \u00bfTienes un boli?<\/span> and \u00bfTienes boli?<\/span> are natural.<\/li>
  5. Colours agree and come after the noun.<\/strong> un boli azul<\/span>, una regla roja<\/span>, unas tijeras amarillas.<\/span><\/li><\/ol>\n\n

    Asking and apologising<\/h3>\n\n

    \u00bfMe prestas un boli, por favor?<\/span>Can I borrow a pen, please?<\/small><\/p>\n\n

    \u00bfTienes una goma?<\/span>Have you got a rubber?<\/small><\/p>\n\n

    Se me ha olvidado el cuaderno.<\/span>I’ve forgotten my exercise book. (Spain)<\/small><\/p>\n\n

    Se me olvid\u00f3 el cuaderno.<\/span>I forgot my exercise book. (Latin America)<\/small><\/p>\n\n

    No tengo estuche.<\/span>I haven’t got a pencil case.<\/small><\/p>\n\n

    En mi estuche hay dos l\u00e1pices, una goma y un sacapuntas.<\/span>In my pencil case there are two pencils, a rubber and a sharpener.<\/small><\/p>\n\n

    The phrase se me ha olvidado<\/span> (“it has forgotten itself on me”) avoids blaming yourself, which pupils find funny and remember.<\/p>\n\n

    Spain and Latin America<\/h2>\n\n

    Classroom words vary a lot between countries. Teach the variety you use and recognise the others.<\/p>\n\n

    Spain<\/th>Latin America<\/th>English<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    el material escolar<\/td>los \u00fatiles escolares<\/td>school supplies<\/td><\/tr>
    el estuche<\/td>la cartuchera (Argentina) and other words<\/td>pencil case<\/td><\/tr>
    el bol\u00edgrafo, el boli<\/td>la pluma (Mexico), la birome (Argentina)<\/td>pen<\/td><\/tr>
    la goma<\/td>el borrador (several countries)<\/td>rubber<\/td><\/tr>
    el rotulador<\/td>el marcador, el plum\u00f3n (several countries)<\/td>felt-tip pen<\/td><\/tr>
    la pizarra<\/td>el pizarr\u00f3n<\/td>board<\/td><\/tr>
    el ordenador<\/td>la computadora<\/td>computer<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

    In Spain, el borrador<\/span> is the board rubber, not the one in the pencil case. And a British pupil’s “rubber” is safest translated as la goma de borrar<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n

    Idioms<\/h2>\n\n
    Spanish<\/th>Literally<\/th>Meaning<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    quedarse en blanco<\/td>to stay in white<\/td>to go blank<\/td><\/tr>
    poner los puntos sobre las \u00edes<\/td>to put the dots on the i’s<\/td>to spell it out, dot the i’s<\/td><\/tr>
    hacer borr\u00f3n y cuenta nueva<\/td>to make a blot and a new account<\/td>to wipe the slate clean<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

    Quedarse en blanco<\/span> is a useful one before exams: Me qued\u00e9 en blanco en el examen.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

    Typical mistakes of English-speaking learners<\/h2>\n\n